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scintilla, a global leader based in st. niklaus

located in st. niklaus, on the road leading to zermatt, scintilla sa has established itself as the global leader in the manufacture of jigsaw and reciprocating saw blades. this subsidiary of the german giant bosch produces more than one million accessories per day, exported worldwide. with over 800 employees and more than seventy years of expertise, the upper valais plant now holds more than 50% of the global market for power tool accessories. a remarkable industrial success story nestled in the heart of the valais alps.

the history of scintilla begins in 1927 with the production of ignition magnetos. one of these components notably equipped the engine of charles lindbergh’s aircraft during his historic first transatlantic flight. however, it was in 1947 that the company moved to st. niklaus, renting the village’s grand hotel, which was no longer in operation. at that time, faced with the decline of tourism—which had supplemented mountain agriculture—the village feared becoming merely a parking area for zermatt.

the invention of the electric jigsaw marked a decisive turning point. a scintilla employee, after imagining a flexible saw blade, tested a prototype at home using his wife’s sewing machine. the successful trials led engineers to develop an industrially viable product. this innovation launched the success story of the jigsaw and positioned scintilla in a rapidly growing market.

bosch’s global competence center

integrated into the bosch group, scintilla has become the german giant’s global competence center for cutting tools, diamond tools, and bonded abrasives. the st. niklaus plant develops and produces a complete range of accessories: jigsaw blades, reciprocating saw blades, and accessories for oscillating tools.

since its creation, more than 6 billion cutting accessories have left the valais plant. this massive production relies on cutting-edge technology that even china has not managed to replicate, enabling scintilla to maintain its technological edge and global leadership.

continuous growth

in response to steadily increasing sales, scintilla inaugurated a new production hall in 2019. however, capacity limits were quickly reached again. during the pandemic, the diy market experienced strong growth, forcing the company to significantly increase its production. the workforce thus rose to 800 employees to meet this exceptional demand.

this expansion reflects the vitality of the upper valais site and its ability to adapt to market changes. today, whenever a jigsaw is used somewhere on the planet, there is a strong chance that it is equipped with a blade manufactured in st. niklaus.

innovation and expertise

the spirit of innovation that characterized scintilla in its early days remains at the core of the company’s strategy. the valais site does not merely produce; it also develops new products and continuously improves its manufacturing processes. this dual role as both a research and development center and a production site is a major asset in maintaining technological leadership.